Mini movie reviews

Posted: Thursday, March 15, 2007

Showtimes are subject to change; call theater to confirm.

Running times do not necessarily reflect opening previews.

Sneak Preview

The Last Mimzy - Toys found in a mysterious box disrupt the lives of two children and may contain a message from the future. (Trisha Klein, staff) 90 min. PG. Beechwood: 4:25 p.m. Sunday.Opening Friday

Black Snake Moan - Sweet is probably not the word you would expect to use in describing a film about an aging black man who chains a young white woman to a radiator to cure her of her demons. In the rural South, of all places. But sweet is what "Black Snake Moan" ultimately, unexpectedly, becomes. This is a movie that's definitely going to make people angry. Many will view it as racist, misogynistic or both - or just plain hard to watch. If you can just accept the metaphor, and that's what writer-director Craig Brewer intends the chain to be, you'll find an ingenious depiction of the fundamental concept of redemption. Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci form a friendship that's complicated, strange, often funny, but in the end balanced and very warm. Justin Timberlake and S. Epatha Merkerson co-star. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 116 min. R. Beechwood: 1:15, 4:15, 6:55 and 9:40 p.m. today only; Carmike: 1:20, 4:20, 7:20 and 9:55 p.m. today; 7 and 9:45 p.m. daily starting Friday.

Blood Diamond - Director Edward Zwick ("Glory," "The Last Samurai") takes an unflinching look at the brutality of the African diamond trade in this powerfully acted, vividly shot drama. Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly star as three disparate figures who start out using each other and end up wanting to help each other. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 134 min. R. Georgia Square: 4, 7 and 10 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Breach - Anchored by a tremendous performance from Chris Cooper as real-life double agent Robert Hanssen, this spy thriller quietly but suspensefully unfolds the story of how colleagues cornered the FBI man after 20 years of selling secrets to the Russians. The film is a logical follow-up for director and co-writer Billy Ray, who previously took on the story of a real journalist exposed as a deceiver in "Shattered Glass." Ryan Phillippe plays a young FBI man assigned as an aide to Hanssen and ordered to report back to the agent (Laura Linney) leading a colossal investigation on the FBI veteran. Without blazing guns or monstrous explosions, the film plays out with cunning moderation and authenticity. An Academy Award winner for his supporting role in "Adaptation," Cooper rarely gets the chance to take the lead. He does so here with magnificent flair, presenting a cold, complicated character who's conflicted by compassion, arrogance, petty desires and phony patriotism. (David Germain, Associated Press) 110 min. PG-13. Beechwood: 1:55, 4:35, 7:05 and 9:50 p.m. today; 4:20 and 9:40 p.m. daily starting Friday.

Bridge to Terabithia - The special effects in this coming-of-age fantasy tale, though, are extremely high-tech - yet feel distractingly clunky. (They come from Weta Digital, the same company that designed the visuals for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.) Effortless performances from the two young stars ultimately make this movie worthwhile, regardless of the age of the kids watching. Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb star as the outcasts of Katherine Paterson's book, who form a friendship based on loneliness and a shared love of imagination. They merge his artistic skills with her talent for storytelling to create a magical land where they rule as king and queen. Robert Patrick plays Hutcherson's gruff, hardworking dad, with Zooey Deschanel (lovely as always) as the kids' supportive music teacher. If you've never read the book, here's a bit of advice: Bring Kleenex. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 95 min. PG. Beechwood: 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45 and 10 p.m. today; 5:30, 7:45 and 10 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at1 and 3:15 Friday-Sunday; Carmike: 1:05, 3:20, 5:35, 7:45 and 9:55 p.m. today only.

Charlotte's Web - Gary Winick would seem an unlikely choice to direct this live-action, computer- animated adaptation, with an A-list cast providing the voices of the classic children's book's talking animals. Winick co-founded the production company Indigent, known for stripped-down movies shot on digital video like "Chelsea Walls," "Pieces of April" and Winick's own "Tadpole," in which a 15-year-old boy falls in love with his stepmom. But he also directed "13 Going on 30," the charming Jennifer Garner comedy that struck just the right balance of childlike enthusiasm and grown-up insight. And he's done the same here. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 113 min. G. Georgia Square: 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45 and 10 p.m. today; 4:10 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:10 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Happy Feet - Mixing some substance with its style, this animated story is different from the many computer-animated movies this year with its comments about a lot of subjects, including bigotry and the environment. It nabbed the Oscar for best animated film of the year. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 98 min. PG. Georgia Square: 1:20, 4:20, 7:20 and 9:55 p.m. today; 4:20, 7:20 and 9:55 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:20 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

The Last King of Scotland - A Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) on a mission in Uganda is chosen as Idi Amin's (Forest Whitaker) personal physician. Whitaker, who nabbed an Oscar for his performance, is brilliant as the dictator whose brutality stuns his new doctor. (Philadelphia Inquirer) 121 min. R. Beechwood: 1:10, 4:05, 6:50 and 9:35 p.m. today; 4:05, 6:50 and 9:35 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:10 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Limite - Monotonous? Very. Self-indulgent? Obviously. Perfect? By no means. Brilliant, ambitious and innovative? Yes - and that is only the beginning. Also include adjectives such as 'poetic,' 'forceful,' and 'mythical' and you will have a better idea of this classic. (Pablo Villaca, Cinema Em Cena) Directed by Mrio Peixoto. 120 min. Student Learning Center: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Monster Thursday - This Scandinavian film is about three friends, one love triangle and the quest for the perfect wave. 103 min. Not rated. Athens-Clarke County Library: 7 p.m. today.

Music and Lyrics - Writer-director Marc Lawrence is definitely aiming for a retro '40s feel with his bustling New York setting and witty characters who repeatedly burst into song. The songs are catchy, especially "Way Back Into Love," the tune Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore's characters craft together, which will be stuck in your head like a psychotic episode for days if not weeks to come. As washed-up '80s singer, Alex Fletcher - formerly part of a band called PoP that's clearly and hilariously modeled after Wham! - Grant is self-deprecating, but he's also not afraid to look pathetic, lonely and a little sad. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 96 min. PG-13. Beechwood: 2 and 7:25 p.m. today; 7:25 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 2 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Night at the Museum - Ben Stiller is in top form (he hasn't been this funny since the tragically underrated "Starsky and Hutch") as a down-on-his-luck divorced dad trying to win back the respect of his serially disappointed son. The true genius of the film is that it manages to entertain while celebrating a message of universal acceptance and the benefits of learning from history while never seeming preachy. (Ryan Lewis, correspondent) 108 min. PG. Georgia Square: 1:15, 4:15, 7:15 and 9:45 p.m. today; 4:15 and 7:15 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:15 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

Norbit - Murphy once again crawls inside the fat suit, Klump-style. Painful as this often is to watch because it can be so painfully unfunny and one-note, Murphy immerses himself completely, regardless of the part he's playing. You at least have to appreciate his commitment, if not his taste in material. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 90 min. PG-13. Beechwood: 1:50, 4:30, 7:05 and 9:30 p.m. today; 4:30, 7:05 and 9:30 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1:50 p.m. Friday-Sunday; Carmike: 1:30, 4:15, 7 and 9:30 p.m. daily.

The Number 23 - One of the many mysteries about the number 23 is why Jim Carrey and director Joel Schumacher thought audiences would share their fascination over the mysteries about the number 23. (David Germain, Associated Press) 95 min. R. Beechwood: 1:35, 4:40, 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. today; 4:25 and 9:30 p.m. daily starting Friday (Note: The 4:25 Sunday showing will be replaced by a sneak preview of The Last Mimzy); Carmike: 1:05, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45 and 10 p.m. daily.

Pickles, Inc. - In the Arab Israeli village of Tamra, in Galilee, widows lead a cloistered and restricted life, and often live below the poverty line, struggling to raise their children on a monthly social security allowance from the state. But in February 2003, eight widows of Tamra decided to challenge convention by starting up a business venture, the Azka Pickle Cooperative, seeking financial independence for themselves and their children. With little formal education or work experience outside the home, the women face numerous hurdles as the business struggles to expand to stores throughout Israel, while their personal lives reflect the joys and sadness of family weddings, bereavement and loneliness. "Pickles, Inc." portrays this unconventional business start-up and offers rare insight into the lives of courageous women striving to overcome extraordinary obstacles to achieve a better life. (PBS.org) Athens-Clarke County Library: 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Stomp the Yard - The rhythmic step dancing is infectious in this otherwise formulaic underdog flick - so much so, you'll want to see more of it and less of a plot. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 113 min. PG-13. Georgia Square: 1:05, 4:05, 7:05, and 9:40 p.m. today; 9:45 p.m. daily starting Friday.

Zodiac - David Fincher is a director of estimable talents. He's technically imaginative with a great eye for detail and a feel for mood. In films like "Se7en," "Fight Club" and "Panic Room," he sets a scene, sucks you in and shows you over and over that you're in the hands of a visual master. In telling the real-life story of a serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s and early '70s, "Zodiac" runs an astonishing two hours and 40 minutes, and it feels like it. It's solid for the first hour and a half: taut and tense, thrilling and often darkly funny. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) 156 min. R. Beechwood: 1, 4:30 and 8 p.m. today; 4:30 and 8 p.m. daily starting Friday, with additional shows at 1 p.m. Friday-Sunday; Carmike: 1, 4:20 and 7:45 p.m. daily.